Them Ol' Songs
by cowgirlangel95
Summary: After college, Riley had finally found her place in the world. But to get there, she had lost connection with one of the people she never thought she'd lose. Riley must face the old songs her memories continue to sing as she's left to wonder if they could ever repair what they had. (Un)fortunately for her, the Universe has its own plans in store.
1. I Told You So

**Hey all! So, I'm trying my hand at writing again! Right now this is a one shot, but depending on how people respond to it, I have potential ideas to write more for it. This one shot was inspired by the song** _ **I Told You So**_ **, originally performed by Randy Travis and written for Carrie Underwood several years before she was born (as Randy puts it). My favorite version can be found on YouTube here: /watch?v=hvTwFl6OIAk A special thanks to ladyriley for helping me fluff it up a bit :) Enjoy!**

Riley had been standing in the subway for the past hour, raising her phone in her hands and lowering it every few moments. She tucked her hair behind her ear out of habit, frustrated with herself. There was a voice in the back of her mind, telling her to call him and tell him how she felt, or rather, how she still feels about him. Riley bit the inside of her lip and tugged at the end of her maroon sweater's sleeve as her mind continued to debate on whether that voice was, in fact, right, or it was just her long lost hopes.

After four years of college, she had finally learned who she was, and she was tired of being alone in that way. Sure, she had gone on a few dates every once in a while, but none of them lasted. No matter who asked her, no matter how much they liked each other, it didn't last longer than two or three dates.

The longest was Caleb. A lot of her sorority sisters were a bit jealous when they found out he asked Riley out on a date during their senior year. All of them found him to be the classically handsome type – tall, jet black hair, piercing blue eyes, a muscular build, and the topic of their late night discussions on various nights. It seemed like most girls on campus had eyes for him, which made Riley all the more shocked when he asked her to dinner after one of their classes together. She was even more surprised when she heard herself say yes.

Overall, he was a nice guy. He was sweet and charming, but there was something lacking and for the life of her, she couldn't put her finger on it no matter how hard she tried to pinpoint it. After a few weeks, the two were able to part on good terms and remain friends. It wasn't long after that that Riley was able to figure out why none of her other relationships ever worked out.

It couldn't compare to what she and Lucas had. He was all she ever wanted; he was the only one who ever made her whole from the beginning. And because of that, she couldn't bring herself to date anyone else. It wouldn't be fair to them, or to her. But when she raised her phone to find his number, her mind flashed back to winter break freshman year – when she let her foolish decision get in the way.

 _Lucas brushed some of Riley's hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Tears continued to stream down her face. He had never seen her this upset before, and it worried him to no end. "Come on, Riley," he urged softly, cupping her cheek and gently brushing away a few tears with his thumb. "You know you can tell me anything. It's what we do, remember? We talked through the doubts of you going to NYU and me going to Texas – we worked that out."_

 _Riley nodded. "I know," she managed to choke out, but this situation was so much more than distance._

" _Internalizing isn't going to make the problem go away," Lucas reasoned. "We can get through this."_

 _She bit her lip as she attempted to wipe away the tears that continued to stream down her face herself, hoping that somehow they would stop. Her chest heaved as she tried to suppress the sobs, but she had no such luck. If anything, it just made it worse._

" _Lucas, I…" she paused, trying to find the words, "I-I don't know who I am anymore."_

 _Lucas' eyebrow shot up at Riley's words. "What?" he questioned, doing his best not to let out a confused guffaw. Lucas knew that Riley had many doubts about herself, but this one took the cake. Her confidence in herself seemed to shine towards the later years in high school. "Riley what are you talking about? You're Princess Dancing Sunshine!"_

" _I just don't know who I am anymore! Amongst the shift between high school and college, classes, and trying to get involved, I just don't know who I am anymore. I feel like I've gotten swallowed up in it all. Instead of meeting the world, it chewed me up and spit me back out. Even Maya commented on how I seem lost as of late. High school doesn't prepare you for what it's like in college! I need to try and find my voice in this world, and I have no idea at how to go about it. I always heard about things like this happening in college, but I never thought it would happen to me!"_

 _Once Riley finished, Lucas enveloped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, Riles," he whispered. "We'll get through this, just like we always do."_

 _Despite his words, Riley shook her head as she stepped back from his embrace. "Lucas… it wouldn't exactly be fair to you if I'm trying to figure this stuff out."_

 _Lucas felt his stomach drop at her words. He was dreading what she was going to say next. "What are you saying?"_

" _It wouldn't be fair to you if we were together while I figure this out. I need some time for myself to figure out what I want to do in this world – who I'm supposed to be. It wouldn't be right for you to wait for me. You need to continue living your life."_

 _He felt tears brim his eyes, and Lucas quickly blinked them away to make sure they didn't fall. Her words cut right through his heart and ripped it in two. The pain was unbearable._

" _Why didn't you tell me about this? We could have talked it over. Do you really think it's best?"_

 _Riley's lower lip quivered as she geared up to give him the answer. "Yes."_

 _No matter how much he wanted to fight, all he wanted was the best for Riley. And if this was how it was supposed to be, then so be it. As this realization hit him, numbness seeped through his heart._

" _Okay, Riley," he said, his voice almost void of all emotion. "If this is what you think is best, then I won't step in your way. I care for you too much to do that." After he finished speaking, Lucas turned and walked out of her life._

If Riley could go back and change that night, she would in a heartbeat. She rubbed the back of her neck out of nervousness just thinking about the expression he bore on his face. The hurt in his eyes made her realize that what she wanted then was a huge mistake. It killed her that their relationship had become so distant. If she called him up, it could go either one of two ways. He'd say how much he still cared for her, or he'd say, "I told you so, but you had to go. I found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again."

Riley shook her head. She highly doubted he would ever throw it back in her face like that – deliberately, anyway. Once again, she raised her phone up, hoping that when Lucas picked up, they'd fall back into old habits when they'd laugh and talk for hours. He'd say he missed her and that he's been waiting for the day she'd call him again. Riley smiled at the thought – the thought that they still may be able to live in love together, forever.

Just as she was about to press his number, her mind whispered, _or would he say the table's finally turned?_

Riley groaned as she shoved her phone in her purse, smoothed her black denim skirt, bit her lip, and boarded the subway. She hated how indecisive her mind was, and had about had it with her battling thoughts. But she knew why it was. She still cared for Lucas deeply, and wouldn't be able to handle it if she was rejected by him. While she was able to come out of her shell a bit in college that was one way she would never change. Her constant doubt of what could happen.

Her mind was lost in thought as the subway surged forward, still debating on whether or not it would be a good idea or not to contact Lucas. _He's never been one to rub it in people's faces – but who knows how much he's changed in nearly three years. People may change people, but so does time._

Suddenly, the subway made an abrupt stop, sending an unprepared Riley flying backwards. Before she hit anything, two strong arms grabbed ahold of her and brought her down safely on their lap. The embarrassment started to rise in her chest, and her cheeks started to burn. _What is wrong with you, Riley?_ she thought. Despite the many years to grow into her long limbs, she still managed to find herself to be super klutzy at times, especially in heeled booties.

"Riley?" a familiar voice asked.

Riley's heart stopped as she recognized his voice. Out of all the places she'd run into him, it would have to be on the subway… again. She turned her head and her eyes met two familiar emerald orbs gazing at her. It was far too easy to get lost in them. _Talk about déjà vu…_

"Lucas," she breathed. Riley blinked a few times to make sure that he was in fact sitting right in front of her… or should she say to make sure she was sitting on his lap? Quickly, Riley slid off of his lap and onto the seat beside him and eyed him.

Lucas hadn't changed much. While he definitely had a stronger build than the last time she saw him, his style remained very much the same. Cowboy boots, faded jeans, the same old leather jacket, and the ability to make Riley's stomach turn in all sorts of knots despite all the time that had passed. No matter how many things changed, everything still seemed to stay the same somehow.

"It's been a while," he commented as a small smile came over his lips.

Riley let out a nervous chuckle as she nodded. "Yeah, yeah it has…" she trailed. Again, she couldn't believe this was happening. The Universe had that effect on her most times, especially in situations Riley would think to be impossible, and one would think she should be used to it by now.

He glanced down at the subway floor for a moment and then looked back up into her eyes. "So how have you been? Zay and Farkle tell me that you're working with Shawn?"

Riley nodded again. "Yeah, I started last month and it's been a lot of fun. I work a lot with Shawn which is great. I picked up a photography minor in my sophomore year of college and it's really helped with some articles so far," she rambled, making Lucas grin all the more. "So what about you?" she asked as the subway gradually slowed down.

"I'm working on my graduate degree. It's a lot of hard work, but it's nothing I can't handle."

Riley beamed at the sound of that. She always knew that he'd pursue his dream, even when he doubted himself. He could do nearly anything he set his mind to; he just needed to believe in himself. "I'm really proud of you, Lucas. I knew you could do it."

"Thanks," he returned, as the two stood up and made their way through the exit.

After a few moments of silence as they left the subway station, Riley somehow blurted, "You know, I was thinking," she started, but paused for a moment as she realized what she was doing. _What's gotten into you?!_ her mind yelled, but the Maya part of her brain was urging her to finish what she had started saying.

Lucas turned to face her and raised an eyebrow. "You were thinking, what exactly?" he probed, trying to get her to finish her thought.

Like her typical self, Riley bit her lip and looked down at the ground in front of them before looking back up at him. It was like they were in high school again, in a way. The two of them standing around, too nervous to say anything – well, she was anyway. "I was, uh… I was thinking that maybe we should meet up sometime and catch up, ya know? It's been a while since we last talked, and I don't know about you but I really miss it."

"I think that sounds like a good idea," he responded.

A huge smile spread over Riley's lips as her heart pounded against her ribcage. Hope filled her chest as she yearned for what could happen. But it lasted only until she heard an unfamiliar voice call Lucas' name. When Lucas' head turned to face the woman calling to him, Riley allowed her smile to drop as her heart filled with pain, probably similar to what Lucas experienced that night. She didn't even know this woman, but she had a pretty good idea where she was.

A few seconds later, the woman, who stood a few inches shorter than Riley, approached the two, wrapped her arm around Lucas', and placed a kiss on his cheek – her long, caramel brown hair gently billowing in the breeze. "Hey, love! You almost ready to go?"

"Yeah, yeah. I was just talking to one of my friends from high school I ran into on the subway. You remember me telling you about Riley, right?"

She turned to face her and shook her head. "Of course! I'm so sorry, where are my manners? I'm Lauren," she said, her brown eyes shining in the autumn sun. "Lucas has told me so much about you!"

"So nice to meet you," Riley replied, trying her best not to let her emotions spill through as she eyed her. She couldn't really blame Lucas for moving on; she practically pushed him away! But that didn't stop the pain from seeping up into her heart. And Lauren was beautiful… sun kissed skin, bubbly, and confident – everything Riley wanted to be. She may have found her voice while in college, but even now, she always managed to lose it around Lucas. For some reason, only he had that effect on her. "Anyway, I should probably let you two go. You have plans and I don't want to keep you two. It was nice talking with you again, Lucas," she bid, her voice wavering ever so slightly.

Before she could see if Lucas noticed or not, Riley turned on her heel and headed towards her apartment as quickly as she could without making it look suspicious. Tears stung her eyes and her throat throbbed from trying to suppress her sobs as she weaved through the crowded sidewalks, trying her best to see through the watery gaze and not stumble into people.

Somehow, she managed to keep it all internalized until she closed the door to her tiny apartment. Riley leaned against the door and slowly slid down to the floor, finally allowing the tears to flow. She closed her eyes as a sob escaped from her throat. As much as she wanted to be happy for him, Riley couldn't deny that her heart was shattering into a million pieces. Her worst fear had come true.

She was too late.


	2. She Had Me From Hello

**By popular demand, I am back with more! I have about a month left before I graduate college (yikes) so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'm hoping it will be sometime soonish . Inspiration for this chapter came from Kenny Chesney's** _ **You Had Me From Hello**_ **: /watch?v=HUbxBCmCrMk**

 **Enjoy!**

The sun's rays gently kissed Lucas' face as he made his way over to the subway station. It was a bit warm for autumn, but he didn't mind. If anything, Lucas enjoyed it. The past few days had been rather damp and rainy, so he was glad to rid of the bone soaking chill that refused to leave him the day before.

He quickened his pace and headed down the stairs, trying not to trip over his own feet. Lucas and his girlfriend, Lauren, were supposed to meet in a few minutes. While he'd usually prefer to walk, especially in the gorgeous weather, Lucas opted for the subway to make up for lost time. His conversation with Zay and Farkle had run longer than he had intended. Once he was finally on his way, Lucas sent a quick text to Lauren to have her meet him at the stop closest to Central Park, instead of at the park itself, since he was running a bit behind.

Luckily for him, Lucas reached the platform just as the subway was pulling in. Once the doors opened, he made his way over to a vacant double seat and sat down, releasing his breath.

 _Good,_ he thought. _Now I can try and relax_.

It wasn't long after that the doors closed and the train whizzed on to its next destination. Gradually, Lucas allowed his mind to wander as his eyes focused on the passing lights outside of the subway car. Soon, all reality around him started to fade.

Suddenly, the subway jolted to an unexpected stop, causing Lucas to snap back to reality and brace himself up against the wall he was sitting next to. They weren't uncommon, but it they're still hard to prepare for, especially when he wasn't paying attention to the ride like he should have been. To be honest, he didn't even know how long he was spaced out for. Once he took a breath, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. A young lady with brunette hair was stumbling backwards, probably caught as off guard as he was by the sudden stop. On instinct to protect her from any harm, he reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her into his lap.

Once her loose curls fell away from her stunned face, Lucas's eyes widened as he recognized her. Of all the places, of all the time she would come falling back into his life – literally.

"Riley?" he asked.

His voice seemed to send panic racing over Riley's features as she turned her head to meet his gaze. Lucas had forgotten how easy it was to get lost in her eyes – far too easy he found, as his chest tightened.

"Lucas," she breathed, clearly as shocked to see him as he was to see her. She blinked a few times before sliding off of his lap and onto the seat next to him, embarrassed at what had just happened. Again, she turned to meet his gaze, and Lucas found that she had hardly changed over the years. Her hair was longer, but other than that, she was still Riley.

"It's been a while," he commented as a small smile came over his lips. Despite everything that happened to them, Lucas really did miss having her in his life. However, just thinking of that night again brought a small twinge of pain back to his heart. Mentally, he tried to bury it, but it was persistent in staying right where it was

Riley let out a nervous chuckle as she nodded. "Yeah, yeah it has…" she trailed, as if she had a hard time coming to grips that they had stumbled into each other's lives yet again.

Lucas glanced down at the subway floor, trying to figure out what to say to her. It had been three and a half years since they had said anything to each other, which made it even more difficult. He didn't want this to be awkward at all, but if things continued the way they were going, they were going to end up badly. _Common ground, find common ground_ , he thought. He looked back up at her and said, "So how have you been? Zay and Farkle tell me that you're working with Shawn?" _Yeah, that sounds good,_ he reasoned, also hoping that she didn't find it odd that Zay and Farkle mentioned her to him – when in reality, he was asking about her, hoping she was okay.

Riley nodded again. "Yeah, I started last month and it's been a lot of fun. I work a lot with Shawn which is great. I picked up a photography minor in my sophomore year of college and it's really helped with some articles so far," she rambled, making Lucas grin all the more as he thought, _Yep, still the same Riley. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Dumb saying but somehow still true_. "So what about you?" she asked as the subway gradually slowed down.

"I'm working on my graduate degree. It's a lot of hard work, but it's nothing I can't handle," he replied nonchalantly.

He watched as Riley grinned from ear to ear at his words. Riley was the one who helped him get through so much hard work: school, family, his anger issues, and more. She was probably happy to see that, despite their time apart, she still had an effect on him.

"I'm really proud of you, Lucas. I knew you could do it," she replied as the subway began to slow down.

"Thanks," he returned, as the two stood up and made their way through the exit.

They made their way through the subway station and out to the street, not sure what exactly to say next. It was difficult to come up with something to talk about after not having spoken for so long. Gradually, Lucas' heart sank. This wasn't now he wanted to end his conversation with her. His mind scolded him – it practically shouted at him to say something, but Lucas was at a loss of words.

After a few moments of silence, he heard Riley blurt out, "You know, I was thinking," before she cut herself off.

Lucas turned to face her and raise an eyebrow. The shock on her face said it all. Her outburst surprised herself, and she didn't know if she should go on. He found a small smile trying to creep over his lips – no matter how much time had passed, no matter what had happened, he found himself falling for her all over again. "You were thinking, what exactly?" he probed, hoping for her to finish what she was going to say – and he was hoping for what she was going to say.

Like her typical self, Riley bit her lip and looked down at the ground in front of them before looking back up at him. Here they were again, standing around wondering what the other person was going to say. "I was, uh… I was thinking that maybe we should meet up sometime and catch up, ya know? It's been a while since we last talked, and I don't know about you but I really miss it."

"I think that sounds like a good idea," he responded as relief flooded his entire body.

A huge smile spread over Riley's lips, which made Lucas's heart soar all the more. He found himself losing himself in her, but he snapped out of his haze when the sound of his name met his ears. Lucas turned to face who was calling his name, he saw Lauren approaching them. Once his eyes met hers, he felt his heart swell in sadness. Was it bad that when Lucas bumped into Riley again, he had forgotten about Lauren entirely? Especially since he was riding the subway to _meet_ her?

A few seconds later, Lauren wrapped her arm around Lucas' and placed a kiss on his cheek. Lucas couldn't help but feel her kiss burn on her skin, and he couldn't tell if it was because of his guilt or for some other reason he had yet to grasp. The burning sensation absorbed into his skin and made its way to his heart, causing more guilt to flood into his brain.

"Hey, love! You almost ready to go?"

Lucas cleared his throat. "Yeah, yeah. I was just talking to one of my friends from high school I ran into on the subway. You remember me telling you about Riley, right?"

She turned to face her and shook her head. "Of course! I'm so sorry, where are my manners? I'm Lauren," she said, her brown eyes shining in the autumn sun. "Lucas has told me so much about you!"

He watched Riley smile as she met Lauren's gaze. "So nice to meet you," she replied. After a brief moment, she continued, "Anyway, I should probably let you two go. You have plans and I don't want to keep you two. It was nice talking with you again, Lucas," she bid, her voice wavering ever so slightly that if Lucas didn't know her as well as he did, he would have missed it entirely.

Before Lucas could say anything about it, Riley turned on her heel and headed down the sidewalk – weaving through the crowd until he lost sight of her.

"Well, she seems nice," Lauren commented as she looked up at Lucas. She raised an eyebrow as she focused on his face – it was clear he hadn't heard a word she said. He was still staring at the crowd, lost in thought. "Lucas?" she prodded gently, shaking his arm softly. "Are you in there?"

Lucas blinked a few times before he met her gaze. "What? I'm sorry, were you saying something?" he asked, making the guilt in his heart intensify. _Wake up, Friar!_ his mind scolded.

"Yeah… I said she seems nice."

He nodded as they turned in the opposite direction and went down the street, heading towards Central Park. "Yeah, Riley is one of the kindest, gentlest people you'll ever meet. She puts other people's needs before her own. It was nice to see her again."

Lauren smiled. "Then I'm glad you saw her. I know how much your friends mean to you," she replied as they turned into the park.

The two of them continued on and walked amongst the slowly changing trees, their leaves twirling as the fell to the ground in front of them. As they continued on, Lauren kept pointing things out, but all Lucas could do was silently nod. Again, Lauren would have to pull him out of his thoughts. Every time she did, Lucas felt really bad in doing so, but he couldn't stop his mind from drifting to Riley, no matter how hard he tried. It had been years since they saw each other, and all the feelings he swore he was over had come slamming down upon his heart once again. Not only did that happen, but so did the pain of that night.

Yes, he had forgiven her long ago, but could he find himself trusting her again? Lucas mentally scolded himself. Here he was debating on whether or not he could trust Riley again, _in that way_ , while he had a girlfriend on his arm as they aimlessly wandered the park. It wasn't fair to Lauren at all.

"Hey Lucas, can we talk?" Lauren asked as he led him over to a bench.

Immediately, he felt his heart drop. He knew that tone of voice she was using. This wasn't a chit chat she was leading into, but a serious talk. "Uh, sure," he replied as they sat down. "What's, uh, what's on your mind?"

Lauren sighed as she turned her body to face him. "Are you okay?"

Lucas blinked. "What? What are you talking about?"

She took ahold of his hand as she sorted out what she wanted to say. "Ever since we met at the subway, your mind seems to be focused on something else. You haven't really heard a word I've been saying since, and that was over an hour ago. You've also been unusually quiet. I know you tend to be more on the quiet side, but this is something else. Is everything okay?"

"Oh gosh…" he trailed. "I'm really sorry, Lauren. I don't know what's come over me."

Lauren nodded as she looked down at the bench, and then back up at him. "Does it have anything to do with running into Riley on the subway?"

Lucas just sat there once the words came tumbling from her mouth. He couldn't say anything to that, no matter how much he wanted to.

"I'll take your silence as a yes."

He let out a sigh. "I guess you could say that," Lucas responded, his voice an octave lower than usual.

"I know you two used to date. You told me that a year or so after we were together when Zay mentioned her in conversation. I didn't really think anything of it since she helped make you the person you are today, who I love very much," she explained as tears brimmed her eyes. "I saw the way you were looking at her when I approached you two. It made me wonder. Now, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me. Are you still in love with her?"

From the moment he met Riley, he knew the answer to that question. All she had to say was one word. There was something in her voice that made him realize that she was going to be in his life for as far as he could see. He felt it start to grow when they first made eye contact in the subway all those years ago. She had his heart all this time, and she had yet to let it go. Lucas shook his head at his own thoughts. He never had a chance. "She had me from the first time she said hello to me. I'm sorry…"

Lauren shook her head as the tears flowed down her cheeks. "Don't worry about it, Lucas," she replied as she stood up.

He stood up with her and took ahold of her hand again. "I really am sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen at all. I never planned on running into again like that, and I really thought I was over her. I love you, but…"

Lauren let out a small laugh. "Lucas, I'm not mad. Upset, yes… mad no. I really enjoyed what we had, but when I saw you looking at her, I realized that you still had strong feelings for her. I've never seen you look at me the way you looked at her. While you proved you care for me and love me, there's nothing I can do when I know I'm not the right one for you… I'll see you around, Lucas. Thank you for everything you've given me," she bid as she turned around and left the park.

Lucas stayed right where he was in disbelief. Lauren was always one to take the bull by the horns, but this took the cake. He still couldn't believe what had just happened. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Through his tears, Lucas opened it and saw the sparkling diamond ring sitting in the box as it glistened at him. He snapped the box shut and looked up in the direction Lauren had gone.

"Goodbye..." he whispered.

OoOoO

Lucas trudged his way down the hall to Farkle's apartment. His mind was still having a hard time processing what had happened less than an hour ago. Seeing how Lucas had forgotten all about Lauren on the subway, part of him couldn't figure out why he was in such a fog. But the other part of him knew why. Lauren was a huge part of his life for the past three years – so much so that he was planning on asking her to marry him. _Not anymore_ , he thought sarcastically.

He brought his fist to the door and knocked. Almost as soon as he stopped, the door opened revealing an overzealous Zay and Farkle standing in the doorway with champagne glasses in hand.

"Congratu- wait a minute," Zay started as he saw Lucas. "One of you is missing."

"Where's Lauren?" Farkle questioned.

Lucas stumbled in the apartment as he ran a hand through his hair. "She's gone."

Farkle and Zay looked at each other, and then back at Lucas. "She said no?" Zay asked.

"Nope," Lucas replied as he flopped down on the couch. "I didn't even get to ask. We broke up."

The two friends sat on the coffee table, confused as to what could have happened. "What happened?" Farkle asked.

Lucas sighed as he buried his face in his hands. "I ran into Riley on the subway."

"Riley?!" Zay gasped.

Lucas nodded. "Or should I say, she fell into my lap yet again. I was on my way to meet Lauren when she fell right into my lap, and there went all thought of Lauren. I completely forgot about her until she called out to me. After Riley left, we went to the park like I originally had planned for the day, but all I could think of was Riley."

Zay shook his head in amazement. "Dude… I thought you said you were over her."

"I thought so, too. I had the walls built up around my heart for so long because of what happened, I thought they would take forever to fall. Lauren did a good job at chipping them away, but once Riley was in my arms again and I looked into her eyes, those bricks tumbled down and those old feelings came back like nothing happened."

Silence hung over the room for a long time before Farkle asked, "So, what are you going to do?"

"Think," Lucas started. "I just need time to think things through," he finished as he stood up and headed for the door.

"Is there anything we can do?"

Lucas shook his head. "Nope. I need to figure this out for myself."


	3. I Lost Him

_**A/N: *peeks out from behind laptop* Heeeey… I really meant to have this up sooner. Life decided to hit me hard in the last two months, and it's been hard to find any time or motivation to write. I'm starting to get back into it, though!**_

 _ **This chapter is based on the refrain of Kenny Chesney's song**_ **I Lost It.** _ **The rest of the song doesn't really fit with what I wanted to have happen, but if you give it a listen it may hint to what may happen in the next couple chapters ;)**_

Maya trudged her way down the hallway as she struggled to keep her eyes open. To say she was happy to get away from her world for a bit and crash at Riley's was an understatement. While she enjoyed being an artist in residence, it was a lot of work. Working with other artists in the area was great, but every single artist she worked with, including her host, pushed her to her limits, and not always in regards to her talent. However, Maya knew it was to help enhance and hone in her gift – that much was evident by the amount of paint she had smudged on her white tee shirt and jeans right now, but at the moment, she didn't care.

Ready to collapse from exhaustion at any moment, Maya unlocked the apartment door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. After raising a confused eyebrow, Maya tried to push in on the door again. Still, the door would move ever so slightly before going back into its original position. _What in the world… is there something blocking the door?_ she thought as she ran her hand through her hair. "Riley?" she called out, hoping her best friend would hear her. "Riles, is there something blocking the door?" Maya asked as she pushed on the door one more time – this attempt proving somewhat fruitful.

The door opened about a foot before it refused to budge again. Maya stuck her head through the door and saw Riley curled up in a ball on the floor, quietly sobbing into her hands. Quickly, Maya squeezed through the door and pulled Riley into her arms, allowing her best friend to sob into her shoulder. "What's the matter, honey?" she asked. "Who did this to you?"

After a few moments, Riley was able to suppress the sobs enough to allow her to answer. "M-Me, Maya. I-I did this. I-It's all m-my f-fault," she choked.

Concern laced Maya's features. "Riley, what are you saying? You aren't making any sense. What happened today?"

However, Riley wasn't able to respond. Her sobs racked her body as her lower lip trembled. Instead of trying to get her to talk, Maya stood her up, lead her over to the couch, and headed over to the kitchenette to make her some hot chocolate. It didn't matter how warm it was outside – hot chocolate was one of the few things that would help Riley feel better.

Once it was warming, Maya eyed her best friend. The sobs dissipated to tears gradually streaming down her cheeks, but Riley was just starting off into space – as if one of the worst things imaginable had happened.

After it was ready, Maya grabbed Riley's favorite purple cat mug and brought it to her. When Riley took it, Maya probed her again, "So, what happened today."

Riley let out a sigh after she took a sip of her hot chocolate. "I ran into Lucas," she replied as she stared at her mug.

Maya nodded her head. "Okay…" she trailed. While she knew those two hadn't spoken in years, she couldn't imagine what took place to warrant this kind of reaction. "Did he hurt you in any way? Did he say something?"

Riley merely shook her head as she continued to drink her cocoa.

"Riles, you're going to have to tell me more. Unlike what most people think, I'm not a mind reader. In those instances, I'm just good at getting information."

Again, Riley sighed as she placed her mug on the coffee table. "All day, there was something in my heart telling me to reach out to him. I don't know why, but every time I went to send him a text or call him, something in my mind would say, 'What if he doesn't want to talk to you?' I mean, after what happened that night freshman year I wouldn't really blame him… I could see the pain in his eyes after the words fell from my mouth, and I haven't exactly reached out to apologize. Anyway… the battle between my head and heart continued to when I boarded the subway. And, well, you know clumsy me. I wasn't paying attention and the subway stopped abruptly and sent me flying backwards – right into Lucas' lap."

Maya's eyes widened in surprise. "Again?!"

Riley groaned. "Yes, again! For the first time in over three years we actually talked to each other, and it was so nice," she continued, wringing her hands. "It was as if no time had passed between us, and we picked up right where we left off after a couple of awkward moments, but who doesn't have those, honestly?"

"Did you get a chance to explain yourself from that night?" Maya asked. She knew how much Riley regretted that night.

She shook her head. "Didn't get a chance to. I mentioned meeting up at some point to talk and catch up, to which he agreed. But before anything else could be said… his girlfriend appeared," Riley finished, trying not to break down in tears again.

Maya sat there and blinked at Riley. "His… his girlfriend?" she asked. Maya had to admit, ever since Riley and Lucas broke up, they weren't as close as they once were. It wasn't intentional; unfortunately, time has a tendency of pulling friends apart without any reason behind it.

"Yeah… his girlfriend," Riley echoed.

"How is this your fault, Riles?"

Riley couldn't help but shake her head. "Don't you see, Maya?! If I hadn't pushed him away that day, none of this would have happened! I was the fool that broke our bond, despite not wanting to lose it in the first place! Instead of breaking things off right then and there, I should have told him my fears and hoped that we could get through them together, and leave us parting ways for a time if it was absolutely needed, but I didn't. And after all this time, I still love him! No one could ever replace what we had. Whenever I was with him, everything was right. I could see us getting married and raising a family. No one could make me laugh, smile, drive me mad, or make me cry like he does. It's like he's a curse that's also the cure. All I know is that I love him, and I don't know what to do. I lost him, Maya… I lost him," she finished as more tears streamed down her face.

Maya pulled Riley into her arms and quietly soothed her as Riley's tears soaked through her shirt. "I don't know what to say, Riles. I wish I could say that everything will work out in the end, but it's so cliché. Life isn't always fair. Sometimes it takes away things we think we want or need."

"It makes me feel ridiculous for hoping…" Riley muffled voice replied, sending a sharp pain through Maya's heart.

"Riles, don't say that. I know what your hope is – to have a love so strong that it rivals your parents'. You're going to find that; however, it may not be with Lucas."

Riley sat up as she wiped her tears away. "But I feel like I blew my chance for that kind of love, Maya. How on earth am I going to find something even remotely similar to what we had?"

Maya shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know… one thing that hasn't changed is that I don't have all the answers. It'll happen, though. You'll see." After a few moments, Maya changed the subject, "So, how about I go pick us up a pizza, and then we can watch a movie. Try and help get our minds off of what happened."

"Sure," Riley replied, faking a smile that was clearly forced, especially to Maya.

"Alright," Maya said as she stood up. "You stay here, I'll be back in a bit."

After getting a silent nod from her best friend, Maya headed out the door and towards the pizza shop. While heading down the sidewalk, her mind tuned out the world around her and focused back on Riley. Needless to say, she was worried. Maya had never seen Riley like this before, and she wasn't sure what to do to help.

Not really paying attention to where she was going, Maya's shoulder knocked into something, nearly throwing her off balance. "Hey!" she barked out of instinct. "Watch where you're –" she started, but stopped mid-sentence when she realized who collided into her. "Lucas?" she breathed, not able to believe what she was seeing. Her friend was standing right in front of her, but she had never seen him in this state before. His shoulders were slumped and dark circles had formed under his lack luster eyes. _What the heck happened to him? He looks terrible!_ Maya thought.

"Hey Maya," Lucas muttered. "Sorry about that… I'll see you later."

As Lucas walked away, Maya remained standing where she was, confusion lacing her features. _Why is he like that?_ Part of her had half a mind to call out to him and ask what was wrong, but he disappeared amongst the crowd before she had the chance to decide if it was a good idea or not.

A moment later, Maya turned back on her heel and headed into the pizza parlor. After ordering a large pizza, she chewed on her lip as she pondered whether or not to tell Riley what she saw. Maya shook her head as she grabbed the pizza and grabbed a couple of drinks. She had no idea why Lucas was like that, so what would be the point in telling Riley? It could do more harm than good. But Maya had a feeling she would find out what was wrong with him – despite not having a long conversation with him in years.


	4. She's Every Woman

**_(Italics are flashbacks)_**

 _Lucas sat in the learning center, staring absentmindedly out the window. The clouds were covering most of the stars that night, and the rest were masked by the reflection of the lights on the window. But that didn't matter to him right now – Lucas wasn't focusing on the stars like he usually would, especially at this time of night when most of the students were finally making their way back to their dorms. Or rather they were trying to, anyway as they stumbled along the sidewalk._

 _He pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a frustrated breath. Sleep had eluded him ever since that night, and it was starting to show. Lucas still couldn't figure out what went wrong between him and Riley that night three weeks ago over break, and what she meant. They had always gotten through hardships together. Why was there a sudden change in heart? A change so sudden he was still busy picking up the pieces of his shattered heart._

" _Excuse me?" a voice asked, breaking the silence._

 _Lucas jumped at the soft voice, not expecting anyone to be in this area – except maybe the cleaning crew. He looked up to see a petite woman about his age with shoulder length caramel hair, sun kissed skin, and deep brown eyes. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he may have seen her before. She was wearing a forest green cardigan with a white tee underneath and jeans. "Hi. Can – can I help you with something"_

" _You're Lucas, right?" she asked._

 _He nodded. "Yeah? And you would be?"_

 _She shook her head a little bit and sat down in the armchair beside his, curling her legs underneath her as she leaned on the arm. "I'm sorry. I'm Lauren – we're in the same Calculus class. You've seemed rather tired or preoccupied the past couple weeks. When I saw you here I figured I'd ask if you're okay. I have been meaning to ask, but you duck out of class really quickly."_

Calculus! _his mind clicked. She sat in the same row as him, over towards the window while he opted for the seat closest to the door. "Sorry about that," Lucas began, "I have practice on the other side of campus right after calc, so I have to get there as fast."_

" _It's okay. So… are you okay?"_

 _Lucas let out another sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "No… no I'm not. Something rather unexpected happened about two weeks ago, and I'm not handling it too well."_

 _Lauren placed her hand on Lucas', sending a chill up his spine. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do? Do you want to talk about it?"_

" _Thanks, but no. I'd rather just try to get my mind off of it for now." he smiled, albeit very sadly._

 _She nodded gently as she leaned back in her chair. "Okay, but if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here to lend an ear."_

 _Lucas lightly bobbed his head from side to side. "Maybe someday."_

The axe sang through the air as it easily slid through the chunk of wood and drove itself into the stump the wood was sitting on. Lucas yanked the axe out of the tree stump and placed another piece of wood onto the stump. He swung it again, sending the two halves flying in opposite directions and onto the ground.

He never did tell her.

Lucas wasn't sure why he never told her, especially since they told each other most everything. However, when it came to Riley, Lucas never did say much – all Lauren knew was that they dated up until their freshman year of college. Maybe it was because it was too painful, or maybe because this lovely mess he was in now would have happened sooner. Lucas sighed as he pushed the memory from his mind and reached for his water bottle. Despite it being a bit cold for Texas in December, he was wearing only a white v neck tee and jeans – his red flannel shirt long forgotten about as it hung on a branch nearby. He wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow before grabbing his axe again and starting back to work.

He was so frustrated with himself. _What in the world was I thinking?! How did I get myself into this mess? How could I_ let _myself get into this situation?_

If anything, not telling Lauren about what happened with Riley should have been a huge sign that maybe she wasn't the one. They should be able to tell each other everything over time, even if it was still rather raw. But he thought for sure she was…

 _Lauren and Lucas sat by the fireplace in the student center after drinking a couple of coffees over the course of a few hours. Most of the students were out celebrating the homecoming win, while the two were content on cuddling on the couch._

 _After a while, Lauren turned her head to make eye contact with Lucas. "I love you, you know that?" she asked him with a beautiful smile painted across her face._

" _I love you, too," he said as he wrapped her up in his arms and kissed the top of her head. As he felt her melt into his side, Lucas closed his eyes and smiled. He realized that he could easily stay in this moment forever. It just felt right… like it was meant to be. In that moment, Lucas realized that Lauren was –_

He drove the axe right through another wood chunk as if it were butter, causing the blade to become lodged in the stump a few inches. Lucas let out a frustrated groan as he tried to remove the axe, but it refused to budge. No matter how hard he tried it remained right where it was as if he wasn't worthy to lift it.

"So, how ya doin', Luke? You okay?" Pappy Joe asked.

Lucas turned to see his grandfather leaning up against one of the trees with his arms crossed and a certain look plastered across his face. He knew that look. Pappy Joe knew the answer, but he was setting him up. It didn't help that Lucas had a habit of retreating to his grandfather's farm whenever he was rather frustrated or deeply confused. There was something about the farm that helped Lucas clear his head… or rather, there was someone that helped him. And that someone was looking him dead in the eye.

He shook his head as he decided to abandon the axe and wiped the sweat off of his brow, casting his gaze towards the ground. "No… no, I'm not," he replied as the other reason for his trip floated to the front of his mind.

 _Riley and Lucas were sitting on top of the roof of the Matthews' apartment after Riley's graduation party. The last couple of people had just left a few moments ago, and Riley was in desperate need of some alone time. Luckily for Lucas, she insisted that he should stay._

 _The two of them gazed up at the sky. Dark clouds were rolling in, but there were still a few stars visible – enough to make Riley happy._

" _Can you believe that we've graduated high school already? It just doesn't seem real," Riley commented, her gaze still fixated on the stars._

 _Lucas shifted his gaze from the sky to his girlfriend sitting next to him. A soft smile graced his lips as he stared in amazement at Riley's awe. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him before saying, "Yeah, it's hard to believe. Wasn't it just yesterday we met on the subway?"_

 _Even though Riley was fond of that memory, she found herself blushing. "Time needs to slow down."_

 _Lucas nodded as Riley met his gaze. "That it does," he agreed as his eyes shifted down to her lips, and then back up to her. As the two started to lean in towards each other, a drop of rain hit Riley right on the nose. The two giggled as Lucas reached up and brushed it away._

 _Quicker than they could blink, the clouds opened up and poured down on the two. Sheets of rain were coming down on them as Lucas stood up. "C'mon, we need to head inside before we get completely soaked!"_

 _With a mischievous grin, Riley stood up, but didn't make her way towards the door. Instead, she darted towards the center of the floor and started twirling around._

" _What are you doing?" Lucas called out to her._

 _Riley ran over to him, grabbed ahold of his hands, and dragged him back to where she was. "Having fun! Come on, dance with me! Live in the moment!"_

 _Lucas chuckled as he twirled Riley around in circles. He spun her back into his arms, and the two started to sway side to side. As they moved across the floor, Riley melted into him and let out a pleasant sigh. After a few more moments, the two looked deep into each other's eyes. Lucas leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, allowing the warmth from hers to seep into his heart._

Pappy Joe walked up to him, bringing Lucas back to reality and making him turn to face him. "Y'know, the last time I saw you like this was about three years ago or so. Any correlation between the two?"

Again, Lucas sighed as he crossed his arms. "Sort of…" he trailed.

"Boy, you're going to have to give me more than that."

"Sorry, Pappy Joe… they're kind of related so to speak. Lauren broke up with me… right before I was going to propose to her," he started to explain as he took of his gloves and threw them onto the ground in frustration. "The reason why was because I ran into Riley on the subway on my way to meet Lauren, and I realized I still had all these feelings for her. I tried to put them aside because I thought for sure Lauren was the one for me, but I couldn't; I kept thinking about her when I should have been focusing on Lauren. Heck, I completely _forgot_ about Lauren when Riley literally fell into my lap again. According to Lauren, I was looking at Riley in a way that I've never looked at her… I've never felt so bad in my life," he finished as a dull ache made its way through his heart.

Pappy Joe nodded as he crossed his arms. "So, what are you going to do?"

Lucas threw up his hands, "I have no idea. It felt so right with Lauren and I love her, but then Riley walked back into my life… a-and I'm just so confused!"

"Well, why did you allow Lauren to leave?"

Lucas raised a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"What did you do when Lauren broke up with you? You told me at one point you thought she was the one. How did you fight for her?"

He thought back to that day two months ago and lowered his gaze. "I didn't… not really."

"So, why did you allow Lauren to leave?"

"Because Riley… she's something else. Riley is anything but typical; she's unpredictable. Even at her worst she's not that bad. She's as real as real can be. Riley's every lover that I've ever had, and she's every lover that I've never had. When I was with her again, it made perfect sense…" he trailed.

Pappy Joe shook his head as he placed a comforting hand on Lucas' shoulder. "Luke, you know I've never really believed in the 'soulmate' idea. I've always thought there's more than one person out there that you could end up marrying. But in this instance I feel that I may be wrong. If you had met Lauren before you knew Riley, I think she _may_ have been the one for you. However, Riley is something special. It's clear that you still care for her, boy. When it came to Lauren, you were confused. But Riley… that was clear – despite all that's happened. You need to talk this through with her and sort out what happened that night… soon."

 _ **A/N: Oooooooh things are getting interesting! I hope this was enough to satisfy those who were worried :) I had most of this chapter in mind when I had the idea to expand it from a one shot, but originally Pappy Joe wasn't supposed to be in it. Anyway, let me know what you thought!**_


	5. There is Healing

Riley's eyes fluttered open as the morning sun brightened up her room. She let out a sigh and rolled over to look at her clock which was long since broken. Usually she just used her phone to set her alarm or to check the time, but for some reason, having that dumb broken antique clock on her side table was a comfort. It helped Riley sleep at night.

The clock had broken when she was still in college. It was a gift from her parents when she first left home, and in her junior year one of the springs snapped. Riley just never found the time to get it repaired, but recently she didn't see a point to getting it fixed.

Somehow, she hoped leaving it in its current state would help tomorrow from coming. But it hadn't – and the hope had lasted for over two months.

Riley flopped onto her back and let out a sigh. It wasn't a secret, at least between her, Maya, and Izzy that she was trying her best to move on with her life. She wasn't going to lie to herself – she still had her doubts. Riley was definitely damaged, but her broken heart was still beating.

 _There may be pain in healing,_ Riley thought, _but it sure takes its time in doing so!_

One thing was for sure – Lucas had gotten back inside of her head, and he wouldn't leave. _I tried to guard myself, but around him I'm an open book…_

A pounding on her door interrupted her trail of thought. Riley let out a groan as she swung her legs over, pulled on the nearest hoodie, and headed to the door. She glanced down at her phone as she shuffled towards the entryway. "Eight thirty in the morning… on a Saturday. Who in the world –" Riley started, but was interrupted by more pounding. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Geez, what do you expect for this time in the morning on the weekend."

Riley opened the door to reveal her raven haired friend standing in the doorway. "About time, Bubbles!" Smackle declared as she stepped into the apartment.

Riley sighed as she closed the door. "Izzy, what are you doing here? If you hadn't noticed, most of the city is still sleeping," she commented as she crossed her arms. It may have come out a bit harsh, but to be honest, she did wake up only about ten minutes ago. Her mind was still muddled with sleep and she wasn't thinking clearly.

"I have come to cheer you up!" Smackle replied as a beaming smile spread across her face, making her eyes glint.

Her eyebrow shot up in confusion. "And how do you plan on doing this exactly?"

"I decided to find you something to get you out of the apartment, so I found you a date for this evening for Maya's New Year's Party tonight."

Riley nearly choked on air at her friend's words. "Smackle, what the – why on Earth would you do that?!"

Isadora's smile fell upon Riley's reaction. "You had told me last month you wanted to move past this jarring run in with Lucas. I thought this would help the healing process. Was my hypothesis wrong?"

Riley ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes briefly. "No – I appreciate what you did. You're right; I need to get out of this apartment. However, I'm not sure if a date is the answer."

Smackle raised her hands in defense. "Do not think of it as an official date, but perhaps a chance to get to know him. 'No strings attached' as Maya may put it. If you two get along, that would be good; if not, you part as acquaintances.

"I told him a good friend of mine required a night out and needed a friendly companion. He then inquired if it would be a date."

"And?" Riley probed.

"I informed him it would most likely be closer to a 'hang out' than an actual date, and he agreed. He is not really one for blind dates."

Riley wrung her hands as she contemplated what Smackle just placed before her.

Seeing her friend's doubt, Isadora continued on, "Have I mentioned he is a hunk? H-U-N-K, hunk."

Riley couldn't help but smile as Smackle's comment brought her back to eighth grade. "Okay, Izzy, I'll take you up on your offer. What's his name?"

Her smile returned as she said, "David."

OoOoO

Riley tugged on the hem of her dress as she approached Maya's apartment in Soho. She didn't know what she was getting herself into. _Why did I agree to this?_ her mind raced. Sure, it felt kind of nice to get out of her apartment, but why in the world did she agree to meet up with this David fellow? Even if it wasn't technically a date, Riley was still regretting it a bit.

She let out a sigh as she entered the apartment building. The heated air seeped through her skin. Riley made her way up the stairs and headed down the hall to Maya's apartment, letting herself in.

Even though the party started about ten minutes prior, the apartment was already filled with people. She slid off her pea coat and revealed a knee length red satin dress. Riley didn't have her coat off for more than two seconds before she heard her name being called out amongst the crowd. She turned around to see Maya, sporting a black and silver beaded dress that hugged her body and fell just above her knees, champagne flute in hand.

"Hey Riles," she greeted as she wrapped her in a hug. "I wasn't sure if you were going to come. I'm glad you did, though."

Riley smiled as she hung up her coat. "Yeah… Izzy kind of helped with that."

"Well, you're here. It's a step in the right direction… anyway, drinks are on the counter, you probably know most everyone here," Maya paused. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I think I will be. I'll let you know if that changes. Go, have fun. It's your party."

"Are you sure?"

Riley nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I need to find Smackle – she has someone she wants to introduce to me."

Maya's eyes widened as she tilted her head. "Oooh! Look at you! Good luck!"

The two friends parted and Riley began to weave through the crowd. It didn't take her long to spot Smackle in her cream dress with a crocheted lace bodice by the balcony standing beside a tall dark haired man. His hair was slicked back, and it would probably cover some of his hazel eyes had it not been. Riley raised her eyebrows slightly as she noticed how he was dressed – blue slacks and a baby blue button up shirt layered under a gray v neck sweater. She definitely found him attractive.

"Riley!" Smackle called out. With a smile, Riley made her way over towards them. "Riley, this is David – one of my coworkers. David, this is Riley – a good friend of mine. With that, I shall leave you two alone."

With that, Smackle headed into the crowd of people, attempting to wink in Riley's direction before she disappeared. Riley turned towards David with an awkward smile. She let out a nervous chuckle as David slid his hands in his pockets.

The two stood in silence for a few moments before Riley said, "So, do you know anyone else here?"

David bobbed his head from side to side. "Besides Isadora, I know Farkle, but that's about it."

Once Farkle's name left his mouth, Riley's eyes automatically started scanning the room. She didn't see him when she came in, but sure enough he was now standing next to Smackle with his arm around her shoulders. She hadn't seen him in a while, and Riley made a mental note to reach out to him soon. "I know most everyone here. It's mostly mine and Maya's friends from high school and college. I hope it's not too awkward for you."

David shook his head. "No, not really. I usually don't find it too hard to strike up a conversation with someone I don't know."

"Well, we're doing a stellar job at that so far, aren't we?" Riley replied sarcastically.

He let out a soft chuckle. "Touché. It's probably the situation we're in. Even though it's not technically a date…" David trailed.

"…it still kind of feels like one."

More silence drifted between the two before David asked, "Do you want to start over?"

Riley raised an eyebrow. "Start what over? We've barely been next to each other for five minutes."

David nodded. "Yeah, and it seems like we're going down a dead end." He pushed himself off the wall, fixed his posture, ran his hand through his hair, and stuck his hand out. "David Hogan. And who might you be?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes playfully as she took his hand. "Riley Matthews. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied as he kiss the back of her hand, making Riley blush. From her end, this was making it all the more strange, but still a bit fun.

"So Riley," David continued, "tell me, do you know any of these fine party goers on this lovely New Year's Eve?"

Riley wanted to laugh at what was taking place, but she managed to stifle her laughter. "I know most of them. Actually, I came here because one of my friends wanted to introduce someone to me."

David nodded teasingly and coyly smiled. "Interesting. Have you managed to meet him yet?"

She shook her head, deciding to have fun with where the conversation was going. That's why she was there tonight, right? "No, no… it doesn't look like he showed up."

"Well he's a fool if you ask me, stand a beautiful young lady up like yourself. What is it that you like doing in your free time?"

Riley let out a light sigh before she answered. "Oh, you know… stuff that most people find uninteresting or think it's rather stupid."

David reached out and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Please, tell me."

She looked deep into his eyes and saw that the play was over, the charade gone. Despite starting the conversation out in a goofy manner, he was genuinely interested in what she liked to do. "Reading – I like a lot of the classics, hiking, writing… stuff like that. I'm a photo journalist most of the time, so it's nice to be able to convey a story in a different medium. Over the past year or so, I've actually been trying to work on my own book –" Riley cut herself off before she said anymore and quickly looked away from him. She hadn't told _anyone_ about her little side project. Not her friends, not her family – no one. She had been meaning to tell a few people for a while, but it had been pushed onto the back burner.

Riley looked back up at David, and the same look remained on his face. "No, that doesn't seem uninteresting at all. Who doesn't want to create worlds?"

"I guess that's one way of looking at it."

David smiled gently as he continued to speak. "Now that you've divulged some information on yourself, I guess I should do the same. I work in the same lab as Smackle, majored in Biochemistry. I, too, enjoy reading, but tend to stick with mysteries – which I guess is why I get along with Farkle. Sometimes entertainment today is too predictable," he commented, making Riley laugh. "Other than that, I like the warmer weather, spending the day at the beach, and just trying to have fun."

Riley nodded as the two retreated back into another thread of silence.

"Well, that was fun while it lasted," David retorted.

"That it was. I'm sorry; I guess I'm just not up to talking that much tonight – which is usually the opposite of what I usually do. I have a tendency to ramble."

David put his hands up. "It's okay, I get it. Smackle was trying to help you. I have an idea – if you want, we can try and get together later on, whether as friends or something more, on our own terms. Does that sound like something you'd be up to?"

Riley bobbed her head from side to side. "Maybe."

"If you do, let her know when and where, and I'll be there. If not, it was nice getting to know you."

"Likewise," Riley smiled before David disappeared into the crowd. She took a couple steps onto the balcony and inhaled the crisp December air as she glanced up at the sky. Despite all the lights, a few stars managed to peek through.

After a moment, Riley heard footsteps behind her. She turned her head to see Maya standing there. "How was it?"

Riley shrugged as Maya made her way over to where Riley was standing. "It went pretty well considering we both felt pretty awkward about the date that wasn't a date. We talked for a bit before we decided that if we wanted to try again on our own terms we would. He seems like a nice guy."

"Definitely looks the part," Maya commented as she looked at the group of people out of the corner of her eye.

Riley chuckled as she leaned against the railing. "He was definitely handsome…"

"So how are you doing, Riles? I know we haven't had the chance to talk too much over the past month, but my schedule has been pretty busy."

She nodded. "Don't worry about that. Life happens and takes away from the more important things," Riley joked. "But I've been doing alright I guess. I've been trying to move on, and I think tonight helped. It was what I needed. Life has dictated that what was in the past needs to stay there, and I have to come to accept that."

Maya smiled as her mind flashed to that day when she bumped into Lucas on the sidewalk, recalling his distress that was plastered on his face. "Maybe. You never know when it may throw you in the opposite direction you think you're going."

"Very true. Anyway, I think I'm going to head home."

"Are you sure? There's only about an hour before the ball drops, and you've only been here for around 45 minutes."

Riley nodded as she looked down at her watch. "Yeah, I'm sure. It may not have been too long, but it was what I needed."

OoOoO

The streets were rather bare, but that was typical this time of night on New Year's Eve. They were all at their own parties or in Time Square. Riley shook her head as she headed into her apartment building. The faint sounds of Barry Manilow's version of _What Are You Doing New Year's Eve_ played over the lobby's speakers.

"What am I doing New Year's Eve?" Riley asked herself as she headed up the stairs. "Not much apparently – and that's okay," she admitted to herself. A small smile came upon her lips – she was finally ready to take the next step in her life.

She turned down the hallway and headed towards her apartment. When she rounded the corner, Riley stopped dead in her tracks. Just when she thought she had moved on, she found herself hanging on another day, another word. She may have lost her way three years ago, but Riley was finding her way back home.

Her doe eyes met his emerald ones as he stood outside her apartment door.

"Lucas," she breathed. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, and her mouth ran dry.

Lucas took a step towards her. "Hey Riley… can we talk?"

 _ **A/N: I hope I did okay with Smackle's character. I've never written her before and I hope I did her justice. The song this chapter is based on is**_ **Broken** _ **by Trisha Yearwood – not exactly a classic, but I felt most of the lyrics fit what I wanted Riley to go through.**_

 _ **Next chapter will be Lucas' POV during this time! I have an idea of what I want to happen, but if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know. Also, if you could please let me know what you thought of it (what you liked, didn't like, what should be improved upon, etc.), it would be greatly appreciated.**_

 _ **For those that are curious as to what the outfits looked like, check out the chapter on my Tumblr page and scroll to the bottom: cowgirlangel95 . tumblr . c-o-m /post/163656502515/them-ol-songs (remove the spaces and the dashes)**_


	6. What I'd Do

Lucas gazed out of his apartment window and eyed the snow as if fell to the ground. Each one reflected the soft yellow glow coming from the strings of lights hanging along the streets as it made its way down, turning the world into a snow globe. He couldn't help but sigh as he shook his head. It felt like he just returned from Pappy Joe's ranch, but it was already New Year's Eve. After he got back, Lucas was determined to talk to Riley. However, December was filled with the holidays plus her birthday, so she was bound to be busy. On the plus side, this time gave him to think. Why Riley?

He would do anything to hold her in his arms again and have her close to him. His heart yearned to love her like that again, but many would argue that he never stopped. He would climb up to the sky and take down the stars for her. Lucas would lasso the moon just to hear her say that she loved him. He chuckled as he heard Farkle's voice in his mind, that it would be impossible to accomplish such things. But that was the point. He would attempt the impossible for her.

Lucas wanted to be the one living just to give her love – and he already proved that to her that night. He had to know how she felt. If she felt the same way, then they could work past what happened. That through the good and the bad, they still had each other, and major decisions must involve more than one party.

Lucas let out a sigh as he sat down in his recliner. There was one big way that the answer was Riley – she was the only one who could soothe his anger.

Lauren could calm him down – her touch and her words helped to put out the flame of anger, but the embers were still there, waiting for a strong enough breeze to bring the fire roaring back to life. Riley could deplete the fire's energy source and leave the cold ashes to be scattered.

A knock on his apartment door brought him out of his thought filled haze. Before Lucas could move from his spot, Zay and Farkle let themselves in.

"Hey, hey, hey," Zay greeted. "What's going on?"

"Not much, can't you tell?"

Farkle brought over a nearby bar stool and sat down while Zay leaned into the counter which separated the kitchen from the living room. "We wanted to know if you were going to Maya's party tonight. Or, you know, get out and let loose a little since you've been a bit uptight recently."

Lucas shrugged. "I got the invite, but I'm not sure if I'm going to go." Sure, he thought about the possibility that Riley may be there, but he didn't want to talk about that if she was out enjoying herself. _No, that's a private conversation… that needs to happen soon_.

"That may be good in case Riley –" Zay started, but was quickly stopped by Farkle elbowing him in the ribs.

Lucas raised an eyebrow as his heart dropped. "What? What about Riley?"

"Nice going, big mouth," Farkle groaned.

"What. About. Riley?!"

Farkle pinched the bridge of his nose and took a breath. "Isadora went to go see if Riley wanted to go to Maya's party with a coworker of ours. That was about two hours ago, and I have yet to hear anything… so we should assume she said yes. I probably won't know for sure until tonight when I'm picking her up because she wanted to spend the day with Riley as well."

Lucas ran his hand through his hair as a sharp pain pierced through his heart. While he still may have a chance, his odds were not looking good.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. I didn't know if I should say something to her or not. You've been pretty quiet about everything since your break up with Lauren. Do you want me to tell you if she's going to the party?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it, and no, I don't," he replied as he turned to Zay. "Did you say anything to the girls?"

"No way," Zay answered as he held up his hands in defense. "This is one Lucas story that should be told by you and only you."

"This is all my fault for waiting this long to talk to her. I should have said something earlier."

Zay raised an eyebrow. "Waitin' too long? You had a long term relationship end! Don't blame yourself for what's happening right now. If it's meant to happen, it'll happen. You were the one to say you didn't believe in coincidences – maybe this is another one of those moments."

"I sure hope so."

OoOoO

As he made his way through town, Lucas once again found himself fixated on the snow falling around him. Instead of partaking in the usual festivities, he found himself enjoying the semi-quiet streets. Everything around him – the glittering snow, the calm atmosphere – reminded him of Riley. If she was here with him at this exact moment, Lucas knew she would be twirling around in front of him. It wouldn't be for long, but it would be long enough for her to savor the moment.

Lucas stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and shook his head. "What am I doing?" he asked the open air. Lucas forgave her long ago, and he eventually got passed the pain. There was no more waiting. He couldn't dance around the 'what ifs' anymore; he had to take matters into his own hands.

Lucas needed to talk to her. Now.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Zay's number. After the phone rang a couple of times, his best friend finally answered.

"Zay, where's Riley's apartment?"

"Lucas? What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it now; I'll fill you in later. For now, just tell me where her apartment is."

As Zay rattled off where Riley's apartment was located, Lucas turned on his heel and headed towards the street where the building was. Despite not living in this area for the past four years, he still had it engraved in his memory.

Lucas walked into the apartment complex and was welcomed by the much appreciated warmth. He headed up to the second floor and found her apartment door. Lucas chewed the inside of his cheek as he debated on knocking. After a moment of deliberation on whether or not to knock or try calling her to meet up instead, Lucas knocked.

He waited.

No response.

Lucas tried knocking again, even though he knew the attempt would be fruitless. He knew there was a good chance she wouldn't be there. There was no doubt in his mind now that she went to Maya's party, and it was likely that even if he did try to call, she wouldn't have picked up.

 _I'll wait for her in the lobby,_ he decided, despite knowing he may be waiting for her for a while.

After he turned on his heel, Lucas' eyes met the most beautiful doe colored eyes he'd ever known and loved. His heart began to swell as the two of them stood there, merely looking at each other in disbelief.

"Lucas," she breathed.

He took a step towards her. "Hey Riley… can we talk?"

 _ **A/N: This chapter's influence –**_ **Just to Hear You say that You Love Me** _ **by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but there was only so much I could do. The next chapter will be there talk! I have it outlined, but it's a matter of finding time to write it. I've been busy with work, my job search, amongst other things, but I'll try my best to get it up soon.**_


	7. Remind Me

"Lucas," Riley breathed.

"Hey Riley… can we talk?"

Despite being at a loss of words, Riley managed to stutter out a yes as she pulled her keys out of her coat pocket, fumbling them as she searched for the right one. Once the door was open, the two of them stepped through.

"Please have a seat," Riley offered as she turned on a couple lamps and the string of lights by her patio door. "I'm going to change out of this really quick," she finished as she gestured towards her dress.

As Lucas nodded, Riley ducked behind the corner, presumably into her bedroom. He sat down on the small gray couch and let out an uneasy breath. His heart was about to leap out of his chest, and his hands were trembling. Lucas couldn't believe it – this talk was finally going to happen.

A few moments later, Riley reappeared – clad in light blue sweat pants and a matching zip up hoodie with her long brown hair pulled back into a pony tail. With her hands in her pockets, Riley approached the couch and sat beside him, bringing her knees up to her chest and allowing her feet to rest on the cushion. "So," she started, allowing her to look into his eyes. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Lucas shifted his body so he would be able to face her directly, and instantly he saw the curiosity etched into Riley's features. "I've thought about how I've wanted to say this for a while, but I couldn't find the exact words – so I'm going to cut to the chase. I've missed having you in my life – the way it used to be. There's been a huge hole that can't be replaced. People may change people, but the last three years has taught me that the absence of someone can change people just as much."

Riley tried to blink away the tears that had started to form, but one managed to spill over. She quickly wiped it away and then looked down at her hands. "I'm so sorry, Lucas. I had no intention for this to happen," Riley sniffled, still casting her gaze downward as she bit her lip. She couldn't bear to look at him.

He reached over and placed his hand underneath her chin, having her look at him. "Why?" Lucas asked, his voice cracking as his own tears started to form.

"I didn't think it would be fair to you to still be in a relationship with me as I was trying to rediscover who I was in the world. Instead of asking you your thoughts on the matter, I made the decision on my own – a decision I regretted as soon as I told you and saw you walk away. Not only do decisions like that need to involve both parties, but I now know that you would have stayed by me no matter what," she explained as her tears started to flow freely. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Lucas moved closer to her as he wrapped her into an embrace. He felt Riley stiffen under his touch, but she allowed herself to melt into him. "Of course I can," he replied, allowing Riley to sob into his shoulder as he held her tight to his chest.

After a few moments, Riley's tears slowed and she pulled back, wiping her nose with the edge of her sleeve. "I may have blown those chances with you, but I'm glad you're back in my life. And I would really enjoy spending time with you… and with Lauren! I would love to get to know her more," she finished with a smile.

Lucas bit his lip as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… actually about Lauren… we broke up."

Riley's eyes widened. "What? Lucas, I'm so sorry. She seemed like a nice girl for you; a good fit."

"She may have been a good fit, but she wasn't the right one… which is why she ended it after we ran into each other."

Once she heard the reason, Riley's heart leapt into her throat and guilt surged through her body. "W-why would she do that?"

"Because she saw I was still in love with you. I never looked at her the way I did you in that moment, and I can't really blame her reasoning. When you fell into my lap again, all thought of her left my mind. All those things that you used to do that made me fall in love with you came rushing back. I miss what we had, Riley… all the memories – the way I used to kiss your neck, how you missed your flight back to New York over midterm break our freshman year because we couldn't say goodbye, our long talks about anything and everything, making out in a crowd –"

"…and Maya harping on us to get a room," Riley finished with a chuckle, making Lucas' eyes light up with delight.

"It's hard to believe that was me and you," he continued. "I want to feel that way again. I don't want them to just be memories anymore. It took me the last few months to realize that no matter what, I will always love you. I've wanted to tell you that because, as we found out several times, we can't just assume things anymore, and I wanted to know how you feel."

Riley chewed her lower lip as she absorbed everything Lucas had just confessed. There was no denying that she wanted to hold him close ever since they ran into each other again, but Riley thought "they" were over.

"Do you remember the night we were dancing on the top of my parents' apartment building in the rain? How we felt?"

Lucas nodded. He remembered thinking that he could spend the rest of his life in that moment.

She leaned over and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. "Remind me."

A huge smile spread across Lucas' lips as he leaned in to give her another kiss – this one being much longer than the first as he took her into his arms again.

In the distance, the tolling of a church bell could be heard echoing off of the buildings – ringing in the New Year and a new beginning.

 _ **A/N: And that's a wrap! I wanted to try and extend this a couple of more chapters, but it wanted to end here. Hope you enjoyed it! This chapter is based off of Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood's duet - Remind Me.**_

 _ **Hope to see you soon!**_


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